How to zig zag cals properly/caloric cycling properly

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  • binkybaby1
    binkybaby1 Posts: 188 Member
    bump
  • ieva015
    ieva015 Posts: 93 Member
    Bump
  • Lance_K
    Lance_K Posts: 104 Member
    Bump
  • cdez80421
    cdez80421 Posts: 88 Member
    bump :)
  • Squidgeypaws007
    Squidgeypaws007 Posts: 1,012 Member
    How do you work out your maintainence calories?
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    Maintenance level depends on goal:

    Add the following to determine needs
    0.5lb/wk -= 250cal
    1 lb/wk=500
    1.5lb/wk=750
    2lb/wk=1000

    Just add this to your mfp daily goal depending on which you selected.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    Nice post OP but not sure if this was explained but this is also very essential when doing a zig zag protocol.

    #1) Protein and Fat should always stay consistent, only change Carbs on workout and non workout days.
    #2) Carbs higher on workout days, lower on non workout days
    #3) Keep your deficit consistent weekly, 1lb = 3500 Cals a week...

    I am going to have to partially disagree with you on this, taking cals from protein/fat will not immediately hurt the body, this is more if you are going to cycle carbs in the equation which I do use but this would be more oriented towards someone whom is leaner, not someone whom is obese. I can achieve the same fat loss without dropping below maintenance level for caloric intake, this is what I meant by the cals in cals out formula being flawed. But this is better saved for a different topic/time.
  • usernamekelly1
    usernamekelly1 Posts: 1,941 Member
    Bump
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Thanx! This is what i just started recently.
    I need reassurance sometimes!

    I'm following the leangains protocol with +20%/-15% carb cycle.
    I'm at 11-12% body fat and looking to hit 8% by May 1st.
    Lifting 3 days a week so hitting close to 3k on those days.
    Yum food eat!
  • jessikas5
    jessikas5 Posts: 28 Member
    Bump!!
  • tameejean
    tameejean Posts: 197 Member
    Bump.
  • alexiaans
    alexiaans Posts: 113 Member
    Hello everyone. This post has been very informative but I keep searching through comments to find one answer and haven't quite found it yet...so I ask:

    Is the amount of calories you set out to eat when doing this diet does, or does NOT take into account excercise?

    For example:

    If my calorie intake for a particular day is 1800 calories, is it 1800 NET or 1800 actual calories consumed I should go for?

    I want to make sure I am hitting my targets of how many calories for each particular day, but I want to make sure I'm clear that my goal should be the calories I EAT or what I NET out with at the end of the day when I include excercise.

    Thanks so much for any answers!
  • alexiaans
    alexiaans Posts: 113 Member
    BUMP
  • alexiaans
    alexiaans Posts: 113 Member
    BUMP
  • alexiaans
    alexiaans Posts: 113 Member
    BUMP...TRYING to get an answer to my question please? :(
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Hello everyone. This post has been very informative but I keep searching through comments to find one answer and haven't quite found it yet...so I ask:

    Is the amount of calories you set out to eat when doing this diet does, or does NOT take into account excercise?

    For example:

    If my calorie intake for a particular day is 1800 calories, is it 1800 NET or 1800 actual calories consumed I should go for?

    I want to make sure I am hitting my targets of how many calories for each particular day, but I want to make sure I'm clear that my goal should be the calories I EAT or what I NET out with at the end of the day when I include excercise.

    Thanks so much for any answers!

    If you mean eat the same across the board and use your exercise to create the zig zag...the answer is no.
  • DarcieC2389
    DarcieC2389 Posts: 146
    I will have to try it. The everyday routine of staying under my calories and working out five times a week is not yielding much weight loss for me.
  • mel128
    mel128 Posts: 81 Member
    Bump
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I will have to try it. The everyday routine of staying under my calories and working out five times a week is not yielding much weight loss for me.

    I've learned so much since I originally posted in this thread. Type of exercise has a huge impact on what kind of weight loss you experience. If you're fixated on the scale...you need to do cardio and deal with the lost lean mass and the resultant slowing of your metabolism etc. The 'weight' loss will be quicker, but your body won't change very much over the long term. If you want to see inches and clothing sizes drop rapidly...heavy strength training is the key. You can still do the cardio if you so choose...but lifting weights that are heavy for you...then putting them back down, will result in some pretty serious, and VERY quick changes in your body. This is starting to become a huge trend for women on this board...but the reason is because it works. Every single solitary one that tries it...sees results, across the board. It's impressive to say the least.

    Now, don't get me wrong, diet is huge...but how you eat (calorie zig zagging, etc) isn't going to change too very much. Some people it works for, many it doesn't. It helped me a little...but didn't really get me off my plateau. Unless you're actually going into a fasted state, where your body chemically changes how things work...a calorie is a calorie. Your body only knows if it has food in its system, or not...and since your body doesn't know 24hrs from 10hrs from 48hrs...zig zagging won't always work. I'm partially convinced that the people who've had real success with zig zagging, are accidentally dragging their time not eating into the 14hr-16hr range, thus creating an empty/fasted state.

    Anyhow, just some random thoughts spurred by your commentary, and not meant to be directed to you necessarily at all :).

    But it is something to think about.
  • alexiaans
    alexiaans Posts: 113 Member
    Hello everyone. This post has been very informative but I keep searching through comments to find one answer and haven't quite found it yet...so I ask:

    Is the amount of calories you set out to eat when doing this diet does, or does NOT take into account excercise?

    For example:

    If my calorie intake for a particular day is 1800 calories, is it 1800 NET or 1800 actual calories consumed I should go for?

    I want to make sure I am hitting my targets of how many calories for each particular day, but I want to make sure I'm clear that my goal should be the calories I EAT or what I NET out with at the end of the day when I include excercise.

    Thanks so much for any answers!

    If you mean eat the same across the board and use your exercise to create the zig zag...the answer is no.

    Thanks so much for your answer! I just want to be sure I'm doing this thing right :)
  • soulynyc
    soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
    bumping for later. need to read this thorougly. im doing my own zigzag(from wendy plan . without ww points) im using calories instead. would love to see what im doing right or wrong.
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    Thanks for telling us how to do it in laymans terms b/c sometimes all of this stuff gets confusing....I was actually looking into this last night so it's nice to see it in terms like this today....

    Btw....I went to this site to do the calculations for me last night....

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • commonly_unique
    commonly_unique Posts: 27
    Intriguing...I'll have to give this a try. Thanks for posting!
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Hello everyone. This post has been very informative but I keep searching through comments to find one answer and haven't quite found it yet...so I ask:

    Is the amount of calories you set out to eat when doing this diet does, or does NOT take into account excercise?

    For example:

    If my calorie intake for a particular day is 1800 calories, is it 1800 NET or 1800 actual calories consumed I should go for?

    I want to make sure I am hitting my targets of how many calories for each particular day, but I want to make sure I'm clear that my goal should be the calories I EAT or what I NET out with at the end of the day when I include excercise.

    Thanks so much for any answers!

    Looks like net from his example. He talks about creating a calorie deficit through exercise too. Which would imply you eat some calories back which will be "net" calories.

    Yes, you eat back your calories. No, you don't use them to create the zig zag.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    Bump
  • lalavogl
    lalavogl Posts: 13
    saving for later
  • capp138
    capp138 Posts: 3 Member
    bump
  • EmiVReyes
    EmiVReyes Posts: 118 Member
    bump
  • shosh413
    shosh413 Posts: 135 Member
    bump
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    anyone else do this?
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